If you were looking for classic Italian dishes you might have stumbled over risotto already. This one here might look like a risotto, but it’s not. This is actually a (delicious) pasta dish: Creamy Risoni with Mushrooms. Equally simple and easy to prepare as risotto, but yet quite different ;)
The real fans of Italian cuisine know that a real risotto is made with rice. The name already gives it away ;) Special risotto rice with a high starch content is briefly fried with some veggies (e.g. onions) in some oil and then cooked in added broth (and often wine). You add the liquid in several batches, let it cook down and then you add more… and this creates a very creamy and rich texture. Starch, fat, and broth turn into that creamy sauce that covers the rice and makes this dish so great.
This dish here works in a similar way, except that the rice isn’t rice. It’s pasta. The pasta is called Risoni and imitates the shape of rice ;P
I honestly have no clue who came up with making pasta look like rice and then using it in a similar way. I doubt it was because there was no rice available. Must have been something else ;) This kind of pasta does not only exist in Italy. Greece and Turkey have this kind of pasta as well. They just call it differently – Kritharaki or Orzo. Maybe one of those can explain? ;P
Anyway. The dish here is really simple. Unlike risotto, you don’t have to spend quite as much time at the stove. If you make “real” risotto, you first sauté some veggies, then you add the rice and liquid in several small batches. In between you stir constantly and let the liquid evaporate – that’s necessary to get a perfect consistency. With Risoni you do not have to do that whole process. No need to constantly add liquid. Add all at once and then cook the pasta for 10-12 minutes. The creamy consistency is created by heavy cream and cheese later on. It feels a bit like cheating but that’s ok ;P
The result is delicious – that’s all that counts. If you want an easy and delicious dinner this is the way to go. Not only with mushrooms. Feel free to replace them with your favorite veggies.
We use Risoni (or Orzo) actually quite often. In a dish like this one here, soup, stew, or even salad. You can really do a lot with this type of pasta.
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
some olive oil for frying
9 oz. (250g) brown mushrooms, sliced
1 large onion, chopped finely
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped finely
9 oz. (250g) risoni/orzo*
1/2 cup (120ml) dry white wine
4 cups (950ml) vegetable broth
1 tsp. dried thyme
1.8 oz. (50g) parmesan, grated
1 tbsp. butter
1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream
salt, pepper
some chopped parsley
etwas Olivenöl zum Anbraten
250g braune Champignons, in Scheiben
1 große Zwiebel, fein gehackt
2-3 Knoblauchzehen, fein gehackt
250g Risoni/Orzo*
120ml trockener Weißwein
950ml Gemüsebrühe
1 TL getrockneter Thymian
50g Parmesan, gerieben
1 EL Butter
60ml Schlagsahne
Salz, Pfeffer
etwas gehackte Petersilie
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
2. Add some olive oil to a large (cast iron) pot and heat up. Add the sliced mushrooms, sprinkle with some salt, and cook until soft and nicely browned – about 7-8 minutes. Take out and set aside.
3. Add some more oil, heat up again, and add the onion. Cook until soft and glossy. Add the garlic and cook another minute or so. Add the risoni/orzo and cook for about 2 minutes – you want the pasta to be lightly toasted. Deglaze with the wine. Continue cooking until the wine is almost gone, then add the vegetable broth and dried thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and let simmer while stirring often for about 10-12 minutes until the pasta is al dente.
4. Add the grated parmesan, butter, and heavy cream and mix in. Add the mushrooms back as well and let everything cook another minute or two so the mushrooms can warm up again. The risoni/orzo should be very creamy similar to risotto. Season with salt and pepper and serve with some chopped parsley.
2. Etwas Olivenöl in einen großen (gusseisernen) Topf geben und erhitzen. Die Pilze dazugeben, mit etwas Salz bestreuen und so lange anbraten, bis sie gut Farbe bekommen haben – dauert etwa 7-8 Minuten. Aus dem Topf herausnehmen und zur Seite stellen.
3. Noch etwas Öl in den Topf geben, erneut erhitzen und dann die Zwiebel darin glasig andünsten. Den Knoblauch dazugeben und etwa eine Minute mit anschwitzen. Die Risoni/Orzo zugeben und etwa 2 Minuten mitkochen – die Nudeln sollen dabei leicht anrösten. Mit dem Weißwein ablöschen, dann so lange köcheln lassen, bis der Wein verkocht ist. Gemüsebrühe und Thymian dazugeben. Alles wieder zum Kochen bringen, dann die Hitzezufuhr reduzieren und für etwa 10-12 Minuten köcheln lassen – dabei immer wieder umrühren. Die Nudeln sollten “al dente” sein.
4. Parmesan, Butter und Sahne in den Topf dazugeben und unterrühren. Die Pilze ebenfalls zurück in den Topf geben und alles noch einmal 1-2 Minuten köcheln lassen, damit die Pilze wieder warm werden. Die Risoni/Orzo sollten sehr cremig sein, ähnlich wie bei einem Risotto. Mit Salz und Pfeffer abschmecken und mit etwas gehackter Petersilie servieren.
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
Print
Creamy Risoni with Mushrooms
- Prep Time: 00:10
- Cook Time: 00:25
- Total Time: 00:35
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Pasta
- Cuisine: Italy
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A simple and easy dish – Creamy Risoni with Mushrooms. Looks almost like Risotto but it’s actually pasta. Great weeknight dinner! ;)
Ingredients
some olive oil for frying
9 oz. (250g) brown mushrooms, sliced
1 large onion, chopped finely
2–3 garlic cloves, chopped finely
9 oz. (250g) risoni/orzo*
1/2 cup (120ml) dry white wine
4 cups (950ml) vegetable broth
1 tsp. dried thyme
1.8 oz. (50g) parmesan, grated
1 tbsp. butter
1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream
salt, pepper
some chopped parsley
Instructions
1. Clean the mushrooms and cut them into slices. Peel the onion and garlic and chop finely. Set aside.
2. Add some olive oil to a large (cast iron) pot and heat up. Add the sliced mushrooms, sprinkle with some salt and cook until soft and nicely browned – about 7-8 minutes. Take out and set aside.
3. Add some more oil, heat up again, and add the onion. Cook until soft and glossy. Add the garlic and cook another minute or so. Add the risoni/orzo and cook for about 2 minutes – you want the pasta to be lightly toasted. Deglaze with the wine. Continue cooking until the wine is almost gone, then add the vegetable broth and dried thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and let simmer while stirring often for about 10-12 minutes until the pasta is al dente.
4. Add the grated parmesan, butter, and heavy cream and mix in. Add the mushrooms back as well and let everything cook another minute or two so the mushrooms can warm up again. The risoni/orzo should be very creamy similar to risotto. Season with salt and pepper and serve with some chopped parsley.
Notes
Enjoy cooking!
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I love my job, but in between I love to bake and try new things in the kitchen. A lot of my friends and colleagues encourage me to bake - for a very simple reason: they get the leftovers - and it seems they like it most of the time ;) 
